MK Michael Malkieli (Shas) has proposed a law by which yeshiva students would be exempt from paying Bituach Leumi's monthly payments until age 19.

The purpose of the law is to equate the yeshiva students in this regard to the students of the State school system, in which students are exempt from paying until the end of 12th grade or until they reach the age of 19 years old. Until now yeshiva students began making payments at the age of 18.

The explanation given is that the intent of the original lawmaker was clearly to exempt students from paying Bituach Leumi until the age of 19 and as soon as the State recognizes a school system, no matter which one, and supports it and funds it the same laws should apply to the students in all these school systems.

Malkieli says this will save 1400nis a year for yeshiva students and there is no reason they should be discriminated against.

The Ministerial Legislative Committee passed the proposal.
source: Kikar

Malkieli said it would save yeshiva students 1400nis per year, but actually that only applies until they hit the age of 19. After that they will have to pay the Bituach Leumi payments. I wonder how many and what percentage of yeshiva students will be affected by this, and for how long. If the average yeshiva student enters yeshiva at the age of 17, with some starting at 16 and some at 18, the main benefit will be for a year and a half, up to 2 years. He should also be proposing a law equating them to soldiers and exempt them from paying for a further 3 years - after all, if the State recognizes the yeshivas as an alternative to the army, and funds them and supports them and licenses them, the students should have equal terms as well.